Rollercoaster
by The Cereal Killers
Summary: The first thing I did when I met Travis Stoll . . . was sock him in the eye. What a great way to start a relationship. Tratie. /One-shot/


[A/N] Written by **Kris**. :D Enjoy. Thanks very much to the lovely _Countess_ for her beta-ing.

_Warning_: Hardcore fluff. With extra cheese. Plus a handful of cliche and n00bish romance. And a dash of pointlessness. If you don't like it, I suggest the BACK button?

Hearts,

^*Kris*^

**

* * *

Rollercoaster**

_[A One-shot]_

* * *

The first time I heard of Travis Stoll was when Calvin, my nine-year-old half-brother, came crying to our cabin and blubbered out what had happened to me. Our grass roof had been decorated with chocolate bunnies in time for Easter, which melted and made a major mess of the roof.

Calvin, conveniently, had been the only one to witness the Stoll brothers decorating the roof and ratted them out to Chiron. Travis then called Calvin a "retard", which sent him away in tears.

After I smoothed his hair back and listened to what happened, I set out to seek my cabin's revenge. When I saw the guy who fit Calvin's descriptions, I tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, are you Travis Stoll?" I asked innocently, smiling.

He nodded. "Why?" He looked at me warily.

I curled my hand into a fist, reeled my arm back, and socked him across the face.

It was a good punch, too. I felt satisfaction when I saw a bruised eye start to form. Travis looked at me incredulously, but didn't do anything as I skipped away, back to my cabin.

That was the very first day Travis Stoll, son of Hermes, took notice of me.

* * *

The second emotion I felt towards Travis was annoyance. He went out of his way to irritate me whenever he saw me and felt like it. He'd pull my braids, tease me relentlessly, make fun of my gardening when it was my turn to tend to the strawberries, and pat me on the head patronizingly. Oh. He also would call me a Gorgon's daughter.

I would smile at him. The next thing he'd know, a swarm of bees would be chasing him around camp.

That didn't stop him from his teasing.

Slowly—at a snail's pace, mind you—he started to grow on me, although I had no idea why.

* * *

The third feeling; mild dislike. Chiron had said that the year-rounders at Camp Half-Blood had to bunker with someone who was leaving for the summer for the rest of the year, because Camp Half-Blood was apparently going through some major architectural changes, which I thought was total BS, but when a year-rounder didn't get a volunteer, they were assigned to someone by Chiron.

I got the Stoll brothers. I was this close to smacking the silly smirk off of Travis's face. Why would they have to bunker with me? There was no logic to it. Chiron wouldn't budge when I appealed to him, though.

They followed my defeated trudge to my father's car. He peered out the window at the boys and raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged and put my bags in the trunk, sliding into the shotgun seat. "Who're these two?" Dad asked me, not bothering to mask the suspicion/curiosity in his voice.

"I'm Travis Stoll, Sir, and that's my brother, Connor," Travis said, leaning forward and offering his hand. "Chiron said that Camp Half-Blood is going through some major changes since we're expecting a lot more kids claimed since the gods made that oath. Thus, he wants us year-rounders to bunker with someone who's only here for the summer, and Katie got us."

Dad squinted at Travis, totally ignoring Connor, who didn't really seem to mind. "And what are your intentions with my daughter, Mr. Stoll? Did Chiron assign you to her on purpose?"

I gasped and Travis flushed, clearly not expecting that question. Connor started laughing and I glared at my father.

"Dad!" I whined angrily. "Nothing's going on, jeez. You don't have to pull the over-protective-father on me. Nothing will happen, so stop assuming. Gods." I turned around and looked out the window angrily. Why weren't we leaving yet?

I missed the hurt look Travis gave me.

Dad smirked and started up the car. "Well, then, that's good. I'll set up a room for you two when we get home and enroll you into Katie's high school. What grades would you be in again?"

I scowled, completely unhappy with how my summer had ended. Later, though, Travis started playing with one of my braids and I allowed a small smile to appear.

* * *

One of the most important feelings I've harbored towards Travis was gratitude.

There was a fire at my house two nights after we got home from Camp Half-Blood. I don't know what really caused it, but by the time the smoke woke me up, the flames were licking up the wooden door and the carpet underneath.

I shot out of bed immediately, grabbed my favorite fuzzy teddy bear and started screaming. That was when Travis heard me, and everyone realized that I was still in the building. And then he started climbing up the tree growing by my house, close to my window.

I, however, was desperately trying to open my too-rusty window. I managed to get it open, but the flames were too fast for me and before I could climb out, my pajama pant leg caught on fire, like the rest of the room. I screamed and felt sick at the smell of burning flesh.

And then, a pair of strong arms extended from the window and grabbed me, dragging me out of the window into the pouring rain. Travis beat out the flames with his bare hands and then held me in the rain while the firemen put out the fire. I sobbed into his shoulder, from pain, from relief, and from fear. He stroked my back and rocked me.

After that, I passed out and was sent to the hospital, diagnosed with light third-degree burns that would eventually fade within a year. Travis had a second-degree burn from beating out the flames.

When I woke up, Travis was sleeping in a hospital chair, his hand bandaged heavily and his thumbs resting on the bridge of his nose. My dad was snoring in another. Connor was out of sight. I muttered something and tried to recall what had happened, but all I got was a hot blurry mess, with pain involved.

Travis looked up. So he hadn't been sleeping after all. "Hey. My Gorgon finally awakens." I was too tired to get annoyed at him. His smile faded. "How are you, Katie?"

"In pain," I answered. "Where's Connor? He made it, right?" I started to panic.

Travis put his good hand on mine. "He's fine, Katie," he said. "Just pacing outside the door. He still can't believe I climbed the tree to save you like a monkey or that we forgot to wake you up." He frowned.

I relaxed. "Oh. And the house? How is it?"

Travis stiffened. "Well . . ."

"Travis," I whined. "Tell me."

"The insides are _severely_ charred. The firemen got it under control before it burned the house down completely, but it's gonna cost a fortune to restore it."

My lip trembled. "Right. And you . . . saved me? Is that what you said?"

He nodded. "Why, did you forget?" He furrowed his brow. I nodded.

"The whole event is basically a giant, painful blur in my memory. I know there was a fire, and I know there was a lot of pain for me or something." Travis pointed to my legs. "So. Yeah. You'll have to confirm some stuff."

He nodded, and proceeded to tell me what had happened from his point of view. When it was done, he nodded towards my slumbering father. "He came up to me after the firemen got us down from the roof and said he'd be happy if I asked you out instead of being upset. Apparently saving his only child raises the respect and tolerance bar way high." He twirled a strand of hair around his finger. "I like your hair better down than in braids. The braids are cute, but down is better. In my opinion."

I grinned at the compliment. "Too bad his hopes are in vain."

He frowned and looked out the window. "Yeah . . ."

* * *

We ended up living in my aunt's house, who lived in a mansion with her rich husband who I loved a lot, and she was only fifteen minutes away from my school, so it was easy to walk there with the Stoll brothers. And the next stop for what'd I felt for Travis Stoll:

_Jealousy._

Over the year, he'd grown to be a, well, rather _attractive_ son of Hermes. He got lots of attention from girls—too much, in my opinion. And I got too many poisonous glares for my taste whenever I was tutoring Travis, as he'd only gone to eighth grade in school until his mom died of cancer. I think Connor had his own tutor, but Travis wanted me to tutor him.

But he was a smart kid, who learned quickly. When we were done for the day, he'd always tug on my braids and thank me sincerely. I always frowned but a hot blush would always spread and he'd smirk before sauntering off.

I silently watched Travis get closer to a cheerleader at the top of school hierarchy—the social group both he and Connor had grown into—by the name of Maggie White. I had nothing against Maggie, but when I saw Travis making out against the school's outer brick wall when we were supposed to be having a tutoring session, I snapped.

Without bothering to see if anyone was around to see it, I tilted my head and tree roots wormed their way out of the ground, wrapping around her ankles and jerking her out from Travis's grasp. They tossed her carelessly towards a willow tree, where she hit the ground and rolled.

I smirked as she got up, squealed "What the hell?" and gave Travis a weird look. Then she ran her fingers through her hair, apologized profusely to a bewildered Travis and ran out towards the parking lot. I turned around and sat at a picnic table, hiding my smirk behind a book I randomly pulled out.

A tap on my shoulder. I made my face blank as I turned around. Lime green eyes met dusty brown. Travis was there, his face equally blank as mine. "Why do you do that, Katie?" he asked. "Why can you cart off girls I like with your superpower Demeter powers, but I have to stand and watch?"

I frowned. "What?"

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the picnic table effortlessly. "Come with me." He dragged me over to an excluded part of the school wall, a place that almost no one bothered to follow to see if it existed.

"Travis," I hissed, trying—and failing—to get out of his grasp. "Let me go. Jeez. Was the girl really that important to you? If she was, then I'm sorry."

He spun me around and pushed me against the secluded wall, leaning too close for comfort. It sent a thrill through me. "Tell me," he breathed, the smell of peppermint washing over my face, "why can you be blatantly jealous of these dimwits, but I can't?"

I blinked. It was true, for the most part. Boys had been showering me with attention all year, but I just smiled and sent them on their way. I had no clue that Travis had been watching.

I swallowed hard. "I never knew that . . . that you were jealous of the guys."

He laughed, staring at me hard. "You think I _like_ it when they try to talk to you and make you laugh? You think I _like_ it when they try to touch you, to kiss you?" He trailed his fingers lightly down my arm, making me shiver. "_Hell_ no, baby. You want to know why? Because I know that only I can be your man, and only you can be my girl."

My heart stopped. Was he saying what I think he was saying? My mouth turned dry, my palms started sweating, and I got an uncomfortable lump in my throat and a huge expectancy for something to happen. We stared at each other silently and he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I swear he was going to kiss me.

But the spell was broken when some of Travis's rowing buddies called for him. He pushed off against the wall, gave me a smirk, and walked away with his hands shoved down his pockets as if nothing had happened.

I didn't bother feeling offended at that. I sank down into the grass and curled my fingers against the tender green blades. An overwhelming feeling suddenly crushed me. Disappointment.

Travis Stoll was my first crush, and he was acting as if he didn't care.

* * *

The semi-final feelings I felt when relating to Travis was anger and ecstasy and exhilaration rolled into one.

The one day I'd decided to wear my hair down instead of in braids was the day after Travis had said that to me . . . and the day I caught him shoving his tongue down some girl's mouth.

I went into the science classroom, with the full intent of asking Mr. Ricardo for some help on my homework, when I saw that Mr. Ricardo wasn't there, but Travis was. I stuffed my homework back into my bag and patiently waited until they noticed me.

Travis was, of course, the first one. He frowned when he saw me with my arms crossed. I was sure that my eyes were blazing with green fire. Cool fury washed over me as Travis frowned. "Katie—"

"Only I could be your girl, huh?" I asked skeptically, feeling hurt, as if he'd cheated on me. Which he hadn't, but, still. I thought that we might get together after that revelation. Now, I realized that wasn't anywhere close to the truth. "Sorry, Travis, but I have to call BS on that."

I fled the school. Naturally, it was raining hard, but I didn't feel like going to the sanctuary of the school building. Emotions were running riot. Manipulated. Used. _Betrayed_. But rage overruled everything.

And then, suddenly, there was a hand on my arm. He'd run after me? In this weather? I realized that I was defending him and quickly thought of suitable words to describe him. _Jerk. Bastard. Hopeless playboy._ "Katie, please—listen," he pleaded.

I stopped dead and smiled, lifting my arms into the air. "Hey, Travis, you know what? I love the rain."

He hesitated, clearly not expecting my outburst. "Uh, okay. That's great. But—" I clenched my fists, willing the weeds growing in the cracks of the drenched sidewalk to grow.

"The rain makes things grow." I turned to face him, still grinning widely. Urged on by the rain, the weeds of the sidewalk grow until a foot's length could be put between the two sides of the concrete.

His eyes widened when he realized what I was doing. "Katie, gods, don't—" Too late, I thought, smirking. Tree roots made indents in the grass and shot out of the ground, wrapping tightly around his ankles. I stepped up onto a magically grown weed, happy that it was short, sturdy; like a tree stump.

"I loved you, Travis," I whispered over the increasing rain. And I knew he could hear me, because his eyes widened. "But you've pushed me too far. For now, there will be no more Travis Stoll." I smiled. "I am Demeter, and you are the ungrateful soil. Prepare to be punished."

I raised my arm, and the roots steadily started rising. Travis grabbed my arm in a panic, but his eyes were filled with determination. "Katie, listen," he begged. I narrowed my eyes. "I used those girls to make you jealous. Ever since you punched me for calling your half-brother a retard, I fell in love with you right away. I only called you all those names to get you to notice me—and you did, even though I wasn't rewarded in the nicest way.

"And when I revealed what I felt towards you, I felt like I'd screwed up—badly. So I immersed myself in mindless girls who didn't really care. But when you saw, I thought that that was when I'd screwed up. And obviously, I have." He gestured to the tree roots.

"But what I really want to say, Katie Gardner, is that I love you too much for my own good and I want us to work. I don't know how it happened, or how you grew on me, but I'm grateful to Aphrodite that it's happening in front of my eyes. And I'd be a fool if I didn't act on this gift from the gods which is you. And I know I sound like a love-struck idiot right now, and this is ridiculously cliché and cheesy, but I want us to work. So all I'm asking you, Katie, is if you feel the same way." He raised his eyes to mine. Sincerity was the only thing shining in his eyes.

I blinked and slowly stepped off of the weed-stump thing. "You mean it?" I whispered. He nodded frantically.

"More than you'll ever know."

I smiled, grabbed his face in my hands and pulled him to me. He responded automatically by wrapping one arm around my waist and a hand into my hair. I played with his golden-brown locks and smiled through the kiss.

We didn't notice the weeds shrink to their original sizes and the roots slowly disappear. We didn't notice the rain slow to a drizzle, and then stop completely, or small early flowers blossom. All that I cared about at the moment was the fact that he tasted like peppermint and pineapple, a weird but delicious mix, and that Travis was kissing _me_, the girl who'd been ready to choke him.

When we had to inevitably part for air, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You look beautiful," he whispered. "You'll always be my Gorgon, though," he whispered, kissing the lobe of my ear. I shivered, grinning, and lightly smacked him. A smile and another kiss at the lobe. "You like that, don't you?" another shiver.

I smiled and pulled away. "Travis Stoll, you are mine, and I am yours—right?"

He nodded. "You're my girl, and I'm your man."

"Man? You seem more like a _boy_ in my definition." He grinned.

"Oh, but I can always show you proof that I'm a man, and not a boy," he whispered, voice husky. I blushed and smacked him.

"No." A pause after three kisses. "Can we dance? You know, the ballroom-type classy way that's always in the movies?"

Travis kissed my cheek. "Of course." He pulled me to the top of the hill that overlooked the school.

And so we danced.

The first time I felt content with Travis was this time, when I simply rested my head on his shoulder and he hugged me close to his body for warmth. The last stop on the rollercoaster of love was in the name, and I still had yet to reach there. But I'll never regret a thing, with Travis. (Except almost killing him.)

The rollercoaster can be a thrill or a nightmare. My advice? Just hold onto the handlebars tight and enjoy the ride.

**FIN.**


End file.
